1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to snowboards and skis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The popularity of snowboarding is growing all over the world and is beginning to rival skiing as a recreational sport. In snowboarding, the person stands on the board with both feet and their body angled to the center or long axis of the board, similar to that observed in the use of a surfboard. The same snow covered slopes and surfaces are used as in skiing. An increasing number of snowboard users are turning to "backcountry snowboarding" --snowboarding that is done away from developed areas, usually in the mountains where there are no groomed slopes or trails or ski lifts. Backcountry snowboarding offers many advantages to the snowboarder, including, better quality snow--fresh powder--and no crowding on the ski trail.
However, backcountry snowboarding has one major disadvantage--the snowboarder must climb the mountain without assistance from a ski lift. Often, the snowboarder cross-country skis up the mountain, or uses snowshoes, while carrying the snowboard on his or her back. At the top of the mountain, the snowboarder removes the skis and descends the mountain on the snowboard, carrying the cross-country skis and poles, or snowshoes, on his or her back. This is an awkward and exhausting process for the snowboarder. No snowboard is seen in the prior art which allows the snowboarder to both snowboard and cross-country ski.
One of the main differences between the equipment used for snowboarding or downhill skiing and the equipment used for cross-country skiing is in the bindings. For snowboarding or downhill skiing, the user's boot is secured both at the toe and the heel to the snowboard or ski. Conversely, for cross-country skiing the ski boot is pivotable on the ski, generally at the toe of the boot, about an axis which is perpendicular to the normal direction of travel of the ski. Ski bindings suitable for both cross-country skiing and downhill skiing are well known. Typically, such bindings include a plate which is hinged at its front end and which can be rigidly secured at its rear end to the ski. Illustrations of bindings for both cross-country and downhill skiing may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,257, issued to Zoor; U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,749, issued to Napflin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,6994, issued to Brice et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,320, issued to Ramer; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,118, issued to Burger et al.
Ski climbers or "skins" which are attached to the bottom of skis are well known. Ski climbers or skins allow the skier to move forward but not backward, thus enabling him or her to climb very steep slopes without having to side step, while still allowing the skier to glide forward downhill or on level terrain. Illustrations of ski climbers and skins may been seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,326,802, issued to Robinson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,708, issued to Matthews; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,177, issued to Rouser et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,904, issued to Pedersen, shows a mononose structure which converts a pair of conventional skis into a twin ski. The mononose structure is a tip which includes two pockets to hold the tips of the skis. The rear ends of the skis are tied together by a tail bridge at the tails of each of the skis. European Patent Office Patent Application No. 430,805, filed by Coffy, illustrates a coupling for parallel skis. The coupling consists of a curved front piece and a back piece. Parallel skis fit into hollows in the curved front piece. The back piece has a central part fitting between the skis and side parts which are shaped to fit over the top of the skis, behind the bindings. French Patent Application No. 2,687,078, filed by Salesse, shows skis fixed to a central beam to keep the skis parallel. Front and back bars are joined to the skis between the bindings and the ski ends by ball joints. This arrangement keeps the skis parallel but allows lateral movement of the skis. French Patent Application No. 2,619,019, filed by Charbonnier, illustrates plates used to join skis together as a monoski. The plates are joined to the skis by four axles held in supports fixed on the upper surfaces of the skis and the plates. None of the above referenced patents or patent applications teach or suggest a snowboard having bindings substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard and which is convertible to two separate skis having bindings parallel to the longitudinal axis of the skis.
Swiss Patent Application No. 681,509, filed by Bettenmann, shows a snowboard which can be divided lengthwise along a gap into a pair of skis. Detachably mounted bindings are positioned on the snowboard. Bettenmann does not teach or suggest a snowboard which can be divided into skis having a ski climbing means to enable the snowboarder to cross-country ski uphill. Additionally, Bettenmann lacks bindings which are suitable for both cross-country skiing and for snowboarding.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 222,282, issued to Hill, shows a design for a snowboard. The Hill patent does not teach or suggest a snowboard that is convertible into a pair of skis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,068, issued to Donovan, shows an adjustable snowboard binding mechanism for pivotally mounting a snow boot binding on a snowboard and allows the binding to be changed in any direct thereafter. The Donovan patent does not teach or suggest a snowboard that is convertible into a pair of skis.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.